The teams from the host province posted the biggest upsets of the day as the 2012 Re/Max Baseball Canada Senior Championship got underway at Citizen Field and Rotary Park in Prince George, B.C.
The Victoria Mavericks (1-0) rode the left arm of Graham Campbell and got a three-run home run from Sean Murphy to defeat the Strathroy Royals 5-3 on Thursday at Citizen Field. Strathroy, the second team from Ontario, had only lost a handful of games all season coming into the nationals, but started the tournament at 0-1. Matt Brennan struck out nine in four innings, but surrendered seven hits and five runs. Campbell scattered seven hits and gave up two earned runs.
The host team, the Prince George Westcana Electric Axemen, got a first-inning solo home run from designated hitter Graig Merritt, then a run in the fifth when outfielder Brandon Hunter scored from second on an error, to defeat the defending champion Windsor Stars 2-0. But it was pitcher Jesse Peters who stole the show, allowing four hits and striking out seven for the shutout, going the distance. Windsor starter Steve Carter was nearly as strong, going the distance, striking out three, and giving up just five hits, in a game that took just 83 minutes to play.
In the other games on Thursday, the Chatham Ironmen of New Brunswick had little trouble with the Reston Rockets of Manitoba, posting an 8-1 win. Veteran Derek Wilson had a home run and JP Neveu went the distance on the hill, walking three, striking out three, and allowing only two hits. The other game saw the Fort Saskatchewan A’s (Alberta) score five times in the fourth inning in registering a 10-3 decision over the Halifax Canadians (Nova Scotia). Karnie Vertz was the winning pitcher, with Mark Haverstock tagged with the loss. Henry Duke’s bases-clearing double keyed the Fort Saskatchewan offence.
On Friday, another four-game slate hits the field – the noon (PT) games have the Strathroy Royals facing the Chatham Ironmen and the Windsor Stars battling the Halifax Canadians, while at 3 p.m. the Reston Rockets take on the Victoria Mavericks. At 7 p.m., in the feature game, the Prince George Westcana Electric Axemen are matched with the Fort Saskatchewan A’s.
The round-robin concludes on Saturday, with playoffs that evening. The semfinal and medal games go on Sunday.
STANDINGS
Pool A
Fort Saskatchewan 1-0
Prince George 1-0
Windsor 0-1
Halifax 0-1
Pool B
Chatham Ironmen 1-0
Victoria Mavericks 1-0
Strathroy Royals 0-1
Reston Rockets 0-1
Friday’s schedule
Noon – Strathroy Royals vs. Chatham Ironmen
Noon – Windsor Stars vs. Halifax Canadians
3 p.m. – Victoria Mavericks vs. Reston Rockets
7 p.m. – Prince George Westcana Electric Axemen vs. Fort Saskatchewan Athletics
